YORK -- A 29-year old North Carolina woman died Tuesday in a two-vehicle collision in York, the second fatal accident on S.C. 161 this week, officials said.
Elaine Frances Day of Gastonia, N.C., was airlifted to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, where she died, said York County interim coroner Sabrina Gast.
A passenger in Day's vehicle, Shannon McWhirter, 29, was taken by ambulance to Piedmont Medical Center. His condition was not available Wednesday.
The accident happened about 1 p.m. Tuesday. The other driver, Francisco Aguilar, 21, of Smyrna was driving a 1996 Ford Explorer north along S.C. 161. Day drove west in a 2003 Mitsubishi four-door car and attempted to cross S.C. 161, said Cpl. Bryan McDougald of the S.C. Highway Patrol.
Day failed to yield the right of way and was struck on the driver's side by Aguilar, McDougald said.
Aguilar, who wore a seat belt, was not injured, McDougald said. Day also wore her seat belt, McDougald said.
The Herald could not reach Day's family on Wednesday.
The earlier fatality happened on Sunday when 20-year-old Cynthia Villejoin of Rock Hill lost control of her 2002 Jeep Cherokee about 5 miles north of York, McDougald said.
Villejoin was taken to CMC, where she died from a head injury on Sunday, Gast said.
Also Tuesday, an unrelated accident on Interstate 77 claimed the life of a North Carolina woman. The accident resulted in six passengers being thrown from an SUV and slowed traffic on Interstate 77. The condition of two children and an adult were upgraded on Wednesday.
The driver in the I-77 accident, Erica Mouzone, 27, was listed in fair condition, a hospital spokeswoman said. Three-year-old Serenity Bradley was discharged, and Shakira Bradley, 5, was in good condition. No information was available on a third child, 4-year-old Alfonzo Gipson, the spokeswoman said.
All three crashes remain under investigation, McDougald said.
The period from Memorial Day to Labor Day is considered the 100 deadliest days of the year in South Carolina because of the number of highway fatalities.
As of Monday, 525 people had died on South Carolina roads this year, according to the state highway safety office. That's up from 494 people who died on state roads through the same time last year.
